Polymer electrolyte fuel cell
First Claim
1. A polymer electrolyte fuel cell comprising:
- a fuel cell stack comprising a plurality of conductive separators and a plurality of membrane electrode assemblies that are stacked with one of said conductive separators interposed therebetween, each of said membrane electrode assemblies comprising a polymer electrolyte membrane, and an anode and a cathode sandwiching said polymer electrolyte membrane;
a means for supplying a fuel gas to said anode; and
a means for supplying an oxidant gas to said cathode, wherein said plurality of conductive separators comprise at least one separator comprising;
a fuel gas inlet-side manifold aperture;
a fuel gas outlet-side manifold aperture;
a gas flow channel for supplying the fuel gas to said anode which is formed on an anode-side of the separator;
an inlet-side through hole and an outlet-side through hole penetrating the separator which are formed at an inlet-side end and an outlet-side end of said gas flow channel for fuel gas; and
an inlet-side connection groove and an outlet-side connection groove for connecting said inlet-side and outlet-side through holes with said fuel gas inlet-side manifold aperture and said fuel gas outlet-side manifold aperture, respectively, which are formed on a cathode-side of the separator.
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Abstract
A polymer electrolyte fuel cell including a plurality of membrane electrode assemblies and a plurality of conductive separators, wherein the plurality of conductive separators include at least one separator comprising: a fuel gas inlet-side manifold aperture; a fuel gas outlet-side manifold aperture; a gas flow channel for fuel gas formed on an anode-side of the separator; an inlet-side through hole and an outlet-side through hole penetrating the separator which are formed at an inlet-side end and an outlet-side end of the gas flow channel for fuel gas; and an inlet-side connection groove and an outlet-side connection groove for connecting the inlet-side and outlet-side through holes with the fuel gas inlet-side manifold aperture and the fuel gas outlet-side manifold aperture, respectively, which are formed on a cathode-side of the separator.
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Citations
11 Claims
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1. A polymer electrolyte fuel cell comprising:
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a fuel cell stack comprising a plurality of conductive separators and a plurality of membrane electrode assemblies that are stacked with one of said conductive separators interposed therebetween, each of said membrane electrode assemblies comprising a polymer electrolyte membrane, and an anode and a cathode sandwiching said polymer electrolyte membrane;
a means for supplying a fuel gas to said anode; and
a means for supplying an oxidant gas to said cathode, wherein said plurality of conductive separators comprise at least one separator comprising;
a fuel gas inlet-side manifold aperture;
a fuel gas outlet-side manifold aperture;
a gas flow channel for supplying the fuel gas to said anode which is formed on an anode-side of the separator;
an inlet-side through hole and an outlet-side through hole penetrating the separator which are formed at an inlet-side end and an outlet-side end of said gas flow channel for fuel gas; and
an inlet-side connection groove and an outlet-side connection groove for connecting said inlet-side and outlet-side through holes with said fuel gas inlet-side manifold aperture and said fuel gas outlet-side manifold aperture, respectively, which are formed on a cathode-side of the separator. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A conductive separator for a polymer electrolyte fuel cell, comprising:
- a fuel gas inlet-side manifold aperture;
a fuel gas outlet-side manifold aperture;
an oxidant gas inlet-side manifold aperture;
an oxidant gas outlet-side manifold aperture;
a gas flow channel for fuel gas formed on an anode-side of the separator;
a gas flow channel for oxidant gas formed on a cathode-side of the separator;
an inlet-side through hole and an outlet-side through hole for fuel gas penetrating the separator which are formed at an inlet-side end and an outlet-side end of said gas flow channel for fuel gas;
an inlet-side through hole and an outlet-side through hole for oxidant gas penetrating the separator which are formed at an inlet-side end and an outlet-side end of said gas flow channel for oxidant gas;
an inlet-side connection groove and an outlet-side connection groove for connecting said inlet-side and outlet-side through holes for oxidant gas with said oxidant gas inlet-side manifold aperture and said oxidant gas outlet-side manifold aperture, respectively, which are formed on said anode-side; and
an inlet-side connection groove and an outlet-side connection groove for connecting said inlet-side and outlet-side through holes for fuel gas with said fuel gas inlet-side manifold aperture and said fuel gas outlet-side manifold aperture, respectively, which are formed on said cathode-side.
- a fuel gas inlet-side manifold aperture;
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10. A conductive separator for a polymer electrolyte fuel cell, comprising a combination of two separator members consisting of an anode-side separator member and a cathode-side separator member, each separator member comprising a fuel gas inlet-side manifold aperture, a fuel gas outlet-side manifold aperture, an oxidant gas inlet-side manifold aperture, an oxidant gas outlet-side manifold aperture, a cooling water inlet-side manifold aperture, and a cooling water outlet-side manifold aperture, said two separator members being combined in such a manner that their backsides are in contact with each other,
wherein said anode-side separator member further comprises: - a gas flow channel for fuel gas formed on an anode-side of the anode-side separator member;
an inlet-side through hole and an outlet-side through hole for fuel gas penetrating the anode-side separator member which are formed at an inlet-side end and an outlet-side end of said gas flow channel for fuel gas; and
an inlet-side connection groove and an outlet-side connection groove for connecting said inlet-side and outlet-side through holes for fuel gas with said fuel gas inlet-side manifold aperture and said fuel gas outlet-side manifold aperture, respectively, which are formed on the backside of the anode-side separator member,said cathode-side separator member further comprises;
a gas flow channel for oxidant gas formed on a cathode-side of the cathode-side separator member;
an inlet-side through hole and an outlet-side through hole for oxidant gas penetrating the cathode-side separator member which are formed at an inlet-side end and an outlet-side end of said gas flow channel for oxidant gas; and
an inlet-side connection groove and an outlet-side connection groove for connecting said inlet-side and outlet-side through holes for oxidant gas with said oxidant gas inlet-side manifold aperture and said oxidant gas outlet-side manifold aperture, respectively, which are formed on the backside of the cathode-side separator member, andat least one of said two separator members has, on the backside thereof, a cooling water flow channel communicating with said cooling water inlet-side manifold aperture and said cooling water outlet-side manifold aperture such that the cooling water flow channel is formed between said two separator members.
- a gas flow channel for fuel gas formed on an anode-side of the anode-side separator member;
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11. A conductive separator for a polymer electrolyte fuel cell, comprising a combination of two separator members consisting of an anode-side separator member and a cathode-side separator member, each separator member comprising a fuel gas inlet-side manifold aperture, a fuel gas outlet-side manifold aperture, an oxidant gas inlet-side manifold aperture, an oxidant gas outlet-side manifold aperture, a cooling water inlet-side manifold aperture, and a cooling water outlet-side manifold aperture, said two separator members being combined in such a manner that their backsides are in contact with each other,
wherein said anode-side separator member further comprises: - a gas flow channel for fuel gas formed on an anode-side of the anode-side separator member; and
an inlet-side through hole and an outlet-side through hole for fuel gas penetrating the anode-side separator member which are formed at an inlet-side end and an outlet-side end of said gas flow channel for fuel gas,said cathode-side separator member further comprises;
a gas flow channel for oxidant gas formed on a cathode-side of the cathode-side separator member; and
an inlet-side through hole and an outlet-side through hole for oxidant gas penetrating the cathode-side separator member which are formed at an inlet-side end and an outlet-side end of said gas flow channel for oxidant gas,said anode-side separator member further comprises;
an inlet-side through hole and an outlet-side through hole for oxidant gas communicating with said inlet-side and outlet-side through holes for oxidant gas of said cathode-side separator member; and
an inlet-side connection groove and an outlet-side connection groove for connecting said inlet-side and outlet-side through holes for oxidant gas of said anode-side separator member with said oxidant gas inlet-side manifold aperture and said oxidant gas outlet-side manifold aperture, respectively, which are formed on said anode-side,said cathode-side separator member further comprises;
an inlet-side through hole and an outlet-side through hole for fuel gas communicating with said inlet-side and outlet-side through holes for fuel gas of said anode-side separator member; and
an inlet-side connection groove and an outlet-side connection groove for connecting said inlet-side and outlet-side through holes for fuel gas of said cathode-side separator member with said fuel gas inlet-side manifold aperture and said fuel gas outlet-side manifold aperture, respectively, which are formed on said cathode-side, andat least one of said two separator members has, on the backside thereof, a cooling water flow channel communicating with said cooling water inlet-side manifold aperture and said cooling water outlet-side manifold aperture such that the cooling water flow channel is formed between said two separator members.
- a gas flow channel for fuel gas formed on an anode-side of the anode-side separator member; and
Specification